Clinician's Roundtable

Guest: Gary Becker, PhD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Nobel Prize recipient for Economic Science, Dr. Gary Becker, professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago, explains how monetary incentives would sufficiently increase the supply of organs for transplant surgery, eliminating the very long queues in the donor market. Undoubtedly the suffering of those on the waiting list would be significantly decreased, but are there costs that might not be immediately obvious? Join Dr. Becker and host Dr. Maurie Pickard for this fascinating discussion.

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Guest: Nortin Hadler, MD Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, joins host Dr. Maurice Pickard to discusses his book, Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America. Dr. Hadler's book examines the reach of medical treatment in America and the degree to which health is determined by socioeconomic factors that are out of a doctor's hands.

Guest: Nortin Hadler, MD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine and microbiology/immunology at the University of North Carolina discusses his new book Worried Sick. A prescription for Health in an Overtreated America. He documents how the consumer needs to adopt an attitude of skepticism regarding the claims of modern medicine and arm themselves with enough information to make some of their own decisions about what care is truly necessary. Hosted by Dr. Maurice Pickard

Guest: Bertha Madras, PhD Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD According to Dr. Bertha Madras, deputy director of demand reduction in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George W. Bush, random drug testing gives young people a good reason not to succumb to peer pressure. But the implementation of random drug testing in schools has stirred a controversial public health debate. Is this an invasion of privacy? Is school an appropriate environment for these measures? Dr. Madras provides a detailed explanation of current policy, and responds to critical comments from groups that oppose the widespread implementation of random drug testing in schools. Dr. Bill Rutenberg hosts.

Guest: Jon Black, Mr. Host: Bruce Japsen Although most Americans may be most familiar with social networking on the internet via Facebook or Myspace and even Sermo for doctors, other health care sites are emerging to bring doctors and consumers together. Jon Black, chief executive officer of CheckMD, tells host Bruce Japsen about putting various aspects of health care together into a new kind of social networking site, featuring medical care and guidance for patients.

Guest: Raymond Scalettar, MD Host: Bruce Japsen So just how can the medical community prevent and reduce underage drinking? Is it even a doctor's responsibility? Dr. Raymond Scalettar, a former Chairman of the American Medical Association and an adviser to the Distilled Spirits Council, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about what physicians may encounter and how they can help in dealing with adolescents with drinking problems.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Raymond Scalettar, MD So just where are teens getting their alcohol and what can the medical profession do about it? Dr. Raymond Scalettar, former chairman of the American Medical Association and adviser to the Distilled Spirits Council, tells host Bruce Japsen about a new national study showing parental influence on how children get alcohol and how physicians can help the situation.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD Guest: Babatunde Olowokure, MD, MPH, PhD Guest: Stephen Karpiak, PhD Rates of STDs in the over-45 population have increased more than twofold since the year 2000. The trend is pushing healthcare providers to stay current on how best to address issues associated with STD care for the older demographic. Host Dr. Lee Freedman learns more from Dr. Babatunde Olowokure, consultant regional epidemiologist from the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency, and author of research published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Dr. Stephen Karpiak, research director for the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America. What's driving this staggering rise in STDs? What initiatives are underway to boost physician awareness of therapeutic measures for our older patients?

Guest: Laurie Edwards Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Better technology and treatments mean that people with serious childhood illnesses such as cystic fibrosis and type one diabetes are reaching adulthood in unprecedented numbers. That means they are also struggling with college, relationships, fertility and employment. Laurie Edwards, a health journalist and author of Life Disrupted, joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss these issues.

Guest: George I. Viamontes, MD, PhD Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Ion channels, G proteins, receptor subunit proteins - many of these concepts were developed after we received our training. What does the practicing clinician need to know? Host Dr. Leslie Lundt welcomes Dr. George Viamontes, assistant clinical professor of medicine in the department of psychiatry at Columbia School of Medicine, who will explain to us the latest science behind neurotransmitters and how it impacts what we do in our offices every day.